Getting Rid of Spyware and Viruses

Whether you run anti-virus and anti-spyware or not, your computer can still be infected.  This is due to the ever-evolving nature of the internet allowing new innovations for good and bad. Now that your computer is infected, what can you do?

There are several things you can do.  One of them would be to format your hard drive.  This is the most time consuming and costly method.  You will lose all your files and it will take you a very long time to re-install all your programs.  This path should only be taken if there is no other course of action available, and if there is deep infection.

Whether you run anti-virus and anti-spyware or not, your computer can still be infected.  This is due to the ever-evolving nature of the internet allowing new innovations for good and bad. Now that your computer is infected, what can you do?

Once you have these programs you need to run a scan to determine where the infection is.  Once the infection is located there are two things you can do.  You can either quarantine the infection, or you can delete it completely.  Deleting it would be the more effective option as it ensures you don’t accidentally use the file again.  An important part of running these programs is keeping them up-to-date.

They need to be updated regularly to be able to combat the new viruses and spyware that pop-up on a daily basis. If the infection is less severe there are several things you can do.  You can clean up your hard drive with anti-virus and anti-spyware software.  There are many free programs out there that will do the job.

A boot-time scan is recommended as a good course of action to remove your infection. Should you continue to experience slower PC speeds, you could try using a virus scanner to not only scan your hard drive but prevent your PC from getting more spyware.

Usually with spyware, once you have even a few files infected, they spread like a virus and attempt to propagate themselves. It's important you have a virus scanner to not only delete old spyware but prevent new spyware from popping up. Avast is great for this.

Our experts will analyze the data collected and detect any threats to your business with Cyber Threat Monitoring.

Keeping your computer 100% free from viruses and spy-ware is difficult but following the procedures above you can continue to enjoy the use of your computer.

Cloud Voice Service

Voice and Unified Communications Solutions:

Enterprise-grade solutions to keep your workforce connected and productive.

Voice solution with Enterprise scale and reliability
To thrive in today’s global business economy, you need voice systems that keep your clients connected and your employees productive. Spectrum Enterprise provides next-generation communications solutions that deliver superior quality and cost advantages with modern collaboration features to keep your workforce and clients connected.



Unified Communications:
Empower employees with anywhere, anytime communication across any device with an all-inclusive and managed cloud-based voice and collaboration solution that features instant messaging, file sharing, video calling and mobile device integration.



Our cloud voice services help to transform infrastructure and accelerate innovation, while our video services provide superior HD viewing experiences that exceed customer expectations. Our enterprise voice services deliver HD voice connections, Hosted Voice services, and Unified Communications, as well as fiber solutions for PRI phone and SIP trunk systems, along with VoIP Dallas offerings.

how to get rid of ransomware:

Ransom malware, or ransomware, is a type of malware that prevents users from accessing their system or personal files and demands ransom payment in order to regain access. The earliest variants of ransomware were developed in the late 1980s, and payment was to be sent via snail mail. Today, ransomware authors order that payment be sent via cryptocurrency or credit card.

How do I get ransomware?

There are several different ways that ransomware can infect your computer. One of the most common methods today is through malicious spam, or malspam, which is unsolicited email that is used to deliver malware. The email might include booby-trapped attachments, such as PDFs or Word documents. It might also contain links to malicious websites.

Malspam uses social engineering in order to trick people into opening attachments or clicking on links by appearing as legitimate—whether that’s by seeming to be from a trusted institution or managed ransomware services . Cybercriminals use social engineering in other types of ransomware attacks, such as posing as the FBI in order to scare users into paying them a sum of money to unlock their files.

Another popular infection method, which reached its peak in 2016, is malvertising. Malvertising, or malicious advertising, is the use of online advertising to distribute malware with little to no user interaction required. While browsing the web, even legitimate sites, users can be directed to criminal servers without ever clicking on an ad. These servers catalog details about victim computers and their locations, and then select the malware best suited to deliver. Often, that malware is ransomware.

Types of ransomware

There are three main types of ransomware, ranging in severity from mildly off-putting to Cuban Missile Crisis dangerous. They are as follows:

Screen lockers:

Upgrade to terror alert orange for these guys. When lock-screen ransomware gets on your computer, it means you’re frozen out of your PC entirely. Upon starting up your computer, a full-size window will appear, often accompanied by an official-looking FBI or US Department of Justice seal saying illegal activity has been detected on your computer and you must pay a fine. However, the FBI would not freeze you out of your computer or demand payment for illegal activity. If they suspected you of piracy, child pornography, or other cybercrimes, they would go through the appropriate legal channels

How does ransomware affect my business?

GandCrab, SamSam, WannaCry, NotPetya—they’re all different types of ransomware and they’re hitting businesses hard. In fact, ransomware attacks on businesses went up 88% in the second half of 2018 as cybercriminals pivot away from consumer-focused attacks. Cybercriminals recognize big business translates to big payoffs, targeting hospitals, government agencies, and commercial institutions. All told, the average cost of a data breach, including remediation, penalties, and ransomware payouts, works out to $3.86 million.

What do you do if you’re already a victim of ransomware? No one wants to deal with ransomware after the fact.

Check and see if there is a decryptor. In some rare cases you may be able to decrypt your data without paying, but ransomware threats evolve constantly with the aim of making it harder and harder to decrypt your files so don’t get your hopes up.
Don’t pay the ransom. We’ve long advocated not paying the ransom and the FBI (after some back and forth) agrees. Cybercriminals don’t have scruples and there’s no guarantee you’ll get your files back. Moreover, by paying the ransom you’re showing cybercriminals that managed ransomware services.

what is ransomware attacks

The idea behind managed ransomware services, a form of malicious software, is simple: Lock and encrypt a victim’s computer or device data, then demand a ransom to restore access.

Ransomware holds your personal files hostage, keeping you from your documents, photos, and financial information. Those files are still on your computer, but the malware has encrypted your device, making the data stored on your computer or mobile device inaccessible.

Knowing the types of ransomware out there, along with some of the dos and don’ts surrounding these attacks, can go a long way toward helping protect yourself from becoming a victim of ransomware.

Types of ransomware:

Ransomware attacks can be deployed in different forms. Some variants may be more harmful than others, but they all have one thing in common: a ransom. Here are seven common types of ransomware.


Lockers. Locker-ransomware is known for infecting your operating system to completely lock you out of your computer or devices, making it impossible to access any of your files or applications. This type of ransomware is most often Android-based.

Crypto malware. This form of ransomware can cause a lot of damage because it encrypts things like your files, folders, and hard-drives. One of the most familiar examples is the destructive 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack. It targeted thousands of computer systems around the world that were running Windows OS and spread itself within corporate networks globally. Victims were asked to pay ransom in Bitcoin to retrieve their data

Doxware. Commonly referred to as leakware or extortionware, doxware threatens to publish your stolen information online if you don’t pay the ransom. As more people store sensitive files and personal photos on their computers, it’s understandable that some people panic and pay the ransom when their files have been hijacked.

Mac ransomware. Mac operating systems were infiltrated by their first ransomware in 2016. Known as KeRanger, this malicious software infected Apple user systems through an app called Transmission, which was able to encrypt its victims’ files after being launched.

Scareware. Scareware is fake software that acts like an antivirus or a cleaning tool. Scareware often claims to have found issues on your computer, demanding money to resolve the problems. Some types of scareware lock your computer. Others flood your screen with annoying alerts and pop-up messages.

RaaS. Otherwise known as “Ransomware as a service,” RaaS is a type of malware hosted anonymously by a hacker. These cybercriminals handle everything from distributing the ransomware and collecting payments to managing decryptors — software that restores data access — in exchange for their cut of the ransom.

The cybercriminals who created this ransomware used managed voice services like dental offices to infiltrate victims on a larger scale.

Dos and don’ts of ransomware

Ransomware is a profitable market for cybercriminals and can be difficult to stop. Prevention is the most important aspect of protecting your personal data. To deter cybercriminals and help protect yourself from a ransomware attack, keep in mind these eight dos and don’ts

1.Do keep your security software up to date. New ransomware variants continue to appear, so having up-to-date internet security software will help protect you against cyberattacks.

2.Don’t automatically open email attachments. Email is one of the main methods for delivering ransomware. Avoid opening emails and attachments from unfamiliar or untrusted sources. Phishing spam in particular can fool you into clicking on a legitimate-looking link in an email that actually contains malicious code. The malware then prevents you from accessing your data, holds that data hostage, and demands ransom.

3.Do back up important data to an external hard drive. Attackers can gain leverage over their victims by encrypting valuable files and making them inaccessible. If the victim has backup copies, the cybercriminal loses some advantage. Backup files allow victims to restore their files once the infection has been cleaned up. Ensure that backups are protected or stored offline so that attackers can’t access them.

4.Don’t pay the ransom. Keep in mind, you may not get your files back even if you pay a ransom. A cybercriminal could ask you to pay again and again, extorting money from you but never releasing your data.

5.Do use security software. To help protect your data, install and use a trusted security suite that offers more than just antivirus features. For instance, Norton 360 With LifeLock Select can help detect and protect against threats to your identity and your devices, including your mobile phones.